


The best things in life are free

by scarletchidori



Series: NejiTen Month 2019 [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: At least I hope it's fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-06-03 13:42:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19465192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletchidori/pseuds/scarletchidori
Summary: Tenten has a birthday gift for  Neji.





	The best things in life are free

**Author's Note:**

> Okay this took me forever to write and it's not even that good. I know that I'm writing only fluff things but fear not because I think I will write something angst soon. In this one-shot it's been a year since Neji's uncle asked for forgiveness-
> 
> Oh and before I forget... Happy birthday, Neji (you deserved better).

_“Why can’t each of us in the world ever see,_

_the best things in life are free._

_Little sounds of laughter, a warm hug, a smile,_

_a kiss from you to me”_

_(Can’t say goodbye to yesterday - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty)_

  
_*_

  
“Hey, birthday boy”.

“You’re a vision for this sore eyes, Tenten”, he says.

“Where have you been?”

“I was with Guy-sensei and Lee. They wanted to give me ‘a youthful birthday party’ and an even more youthful gift”, he informs me closing the door and entering in my house.

“They gave the thing, didn’t they?”

“The thing? I don’t know what you’re talking about”.

“Oh, come on, Neji. I know they did”

He sighs defeated “Yes, they gave me that… thing. They said that it would help me improve and making me stronger, I don’t even know how I kept my cool. I thanked them and smile at them, before going home and hide that green thing so well that I want to forget where it is”

“You know it isn’t uncomfortable as it seems”

“You have that too?”

“I might have”, I say without looking at him.

“Did you wear it?”

“Maybe”.

That green jumpsuit may be ugly, but it’s comfortable. I remember that one day I didn’t have any pajamas, after coming back from a long mission, I was so tired and so in need to get comfortable that I wore that jumpsuit. It was really comfortable

“Wow”.

“Yeah, I know”, I say smiling at him “So what did Hinata gave you?”

“She gave me a backpack to use during my missions, it was a gift from Hanabi-sama and my uncle as well”.

“Your uncle? Really?”

“Or so Hinata-sama said”, he replies “I don’t think he cares, he’s still thinking about… what I have done during our fight”.

“It’s nonsense”, I say “It’s been…”

“Not long enough”, he says “Despite everything I think he feels the need to behave that way, other people of our clan still haven’t forgiven me for what’ve done, so he can’t show me kindness not yet … even if Hinata does. It’s fine, really. I think… I understand”.

“Don’t dwell on the past, Neji”, I say “It’s useless. You know what I think about your uncle, and what I want to say is that what matters is that you and Hinata are beginning to build a relationship, maybe you could even become friends”.

“I don’t think that's possible, not after what happened”

“Hinata knows you. She knows why you did those things, why you said those words, she knows”.

I know him well enough to know that he’s getting in one of his bad moods, where he dwells on his past mistakes.

“Come one, Nej. You shouldn’t be in this bad mood today”, I say “This is your day, you should be happy”.

“You’re right but these days I miss my father even more”.

“Your father would be so proud of you. You changed so much since that day. You smile more often, you talk more, and you’re starting to live again. He would be so very proud of you, just like I am”.

“May I--”, he averts his gaze cheeks slightly pink “I-- I just...”, he tries again before sighing deeply.

“You can ask me whatever you want”, I say smiling “Is your birthday, after all”.

“I-- forget it”, he murmurs “Don’t worry”.

“You can ask me that, you know? You can”.

“May I hug you?”

“Of course you can”, I say smiling “Come here, birthday boy”.

He hugs me tightly, sighing with relief, he murmurs sweet words in my ear.

“Thank you”, he says “You’re-- my best friend”

“And you are mine”, I say “You know what? We should wear that jumpsuit tomorrow, just to make Lee and Guy-sensei happy”.

“Everything for you”, he jokes laughing “But nobody can know about this, okay? Nobody”.

“Of course”, I laugh “We’ll be very youthful”.

He kisses my hair and for a second I enjoy this moment with Neji. Sometimes we go on solo mission and is always hard being apart from my friends, in particular my team.

“I am sorry”

“For what?”

“I don’t have anything for you”, I say “Everything was kinda expensive and I-”

“You have to worry about this stuff”.

“But I--”

“I don’t need anything else, Tenten”, he whispers.

“I wish I could do something for you, for helping you with your clan, for… ease your pain. But not only I can’t do that, I can’t even afford to buy you something”.

“You’re already helping me by standing beside me”.

I feel my cheeks flush in embarrassment. 

“Neji, you’re so sweet”.

“Only for you”.

“Come on”, I laugh moving slightly away from him “Don’t be silly”

“I am not being silly”, he replies “I’m serious. I don’t need any gifts from anyone, especially from you, not when you’re always beside me, no matter… what I’ve done and how I behaved, you were there”.

“And I’ll always will be”.

His eyes are soft with affection, something that is still so rare that makes my heart beating fast. I am not saying that he doesn’t love his friends or something like that, but usually he always keeps his feelings to himself.

“Yes, I know”.

“I still want to give you something, a gift”, I say “Nothing that you have to carry or that could cost me money”

“Okay”

I hug him close again, laying my head on his shoulder, whispering what I thought I would never say.

“I love you”, I whisper in a voice so low that I hope he doesn’t hear that.

But his body is tense now, a sign that he heard what I said. For one long, eternal second, I think of the worst scenarios… like Neji being disgusted or that my affection for him is bigger than his for me.

“You do?”

“I do”, I say “And I don’t know what kind of love is… but I love you”.

For the first time Neji let his wall crumble and fall, allowing me to see him for who he really is. Since his life took a new turn, after his uncle apologized, Neji is always changing, once his smiles were rare and only smirks but now when he’s smiles… he does that with sincerity. Our team is a family, and we are forever. Despite being friends with Lee nobody is like Neji. When I’m with him I feel… good.

“I love you too, Tenten”, he murmurs in a low voice “Thank you for everything, thank you”

“There’s no need to thank me, Nej”

“Okay”

“And now…”, I begin to say laughing “Let’s wear those jumpsuit and meet our sensei and Lee”.

“We will regret it you know that, don’t you?”

“I know”, I say “But let’s do this anyway”.

**Author's Note:**

> As always if you notice mistakes, please let me know!!!


End file.
